


I'd Know Him Anywhere

by sungazer_117



Series: A Kiss for Every Occasion [4]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Ace is Snow White, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Pining, Portgas D. Ace Needs a Hug, Reincarnation, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26958604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sungazer_117/pseuds/sungazer_117
Summary: A strange island leads to a strange encounter and a hopeful Ace.
Series: A Kiss for Every Occasion [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932424
Comments: 3
Kudos: 51





	I'd Know Him Anywhere

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own One Piece. Credit goes to the creator Eiichiro Oda.

“Hey Ace! Check this out!” Vista called, drawing him away from the edge of the pond they had stopped next to. They were on a spring island in the New World that was uninhabited by humans, but was swarming with avian life. The animals weren’t afraid of them, and the vegetation was thick, intertwined and growing over itself until it was as high as Ace’s waist and even higher in some places.

He followed the sound of Vista’s deep voice until he emerged in what seemed to be a nesting ground of some local giants. There was a massive bird soaring overhead, and a twinge of something painful but familiar filled his chest at the thought of getting to see the beautiful creature up close.

“Is everything alright, my son?” his Father asked, noticing Ace’s demeanor to have grown rather energized, as if he couldn’t stand to sit still. Many times in the past he struggled to contain his excitement upon the discovery of wild and outrageously sized animals that he was free to hunt at his leisure. Whenever they landed to restock the ship in an uncivilized area, Ace was always a great contributor to the stores in the meat locker. He also ate a fair amount of it regardless of where it came from, but at least he had the decency to pull his own weight when it came to hunting. Somehow, today was different. The rare find of such a large nest only saddened him as he laid eyes on hundreds of human-sized eggs laid out before them.

“It’s nothing Pops,” he finally said, waving off his Father’s worries with a bright smile and without saying anything else about the matter. “I just don’t like taking eggs,” he admitted after a beat, surprising most of the Commanders present. Whitebeard had been ordered to take a leisurely walk on the island by his nursing team just to stretch his legs and get some fresh air. Naturally, some of the Commanders invited themselves to go hunting at the same time.

“What do you mean you don’t pick up eggs? You bring them all the time,” Fossa pointed out, quick to dismiss what he thought was just Ace being forgetful. Haruta climbed his brother to scramble up on top of one of the intact shells, inspecting it and dodging the swing Fossa made at being used as a ladder.

“Yeah, I would get it if Marco had an issue, cause it would be like eating his own kind or something,” the Commander of Intelligence quipped rather carelessly. He only got away with it because Marco wasn’t there to join them for their jungle run, too busy trying to catch up with the mountain of paperwork that Ace had inadvertently made when he “accidentally” broke three storefronts in the last town they visited by getting a little too drunk. Thatch brought them back into the conversation when he agreed with the fire user.

“No he doesn’t, actually. Remember when we finally started serving more than one thing at breakfast on omelete day?” he asked, seeing a few nods from everyone. “That didn’t start until after Ace officially became our brother. I noticed that there were never enough eggs gathered from our hunts to make some for everybody and Ace would never bring any in so we adjusted. Eventually he told me it was because he doesn’t like taking the eggs from their mothers.” Ace looked away from all of them, existing in his own little world while he knew they were still talking about him.

“Well why not, Ace? Is it a moral thing?” Jozu asked, fitting his arms around one of the half-buried eggs and trying to lift it. Ace quickly stopped him before he could break it. He couldn’t stop the embarrassed flush that crawled across his face when he realized what he was doing.

“Oh… sorry um… it’s complicated?” he answered lamely. “I’ll eat 'em and stuff, I just don’t like taking them, is all.” Before he could be grilled any harder on the topic at hand, a savage gust of wind blasted them off their feet. Whitebeard withstood the blast, but the rest didn't, taking cover between the eggs as a furious momma bird that was three times the size of their Captain swooped low over them before reading back to hover just above her clutch. Ace marveled at her beauty and her fierceness when staring down the enemy and shrieked in anger, but he knew right away that she wasn’t the bird he was looking for.

“Easy girl,” he hummed. “We won’t hurt any of them,” he added, trying to reassure the wild mother. He could feel the eyes of his crewmates on his back, but Ace didn’t care at that moment. While it was unfair to the crew and the chefs to selfishly defend the eggs for no reason other than his own personal values, he had abstained for nearly a decade, and he wasn’t about to start then.

The matron of the island beat her fearsome wings and flexed sharp black talons in midair before settling over her sheltered offspring. Her weight shook the earth beneath their feet. Ace had suspected that the mass of eggs belonged to more than one mother, with one always close at hand to protect their young while the rest gathered food and found mates to have more babies with. The way the female swept her wings out wide, poised to fight in the middle of all of the bunch told him that they were all hers. It would make sense, she was the only gargantuan bird on the island from what they had seen. She was the Queen and they had walked, uninvited, right into the heart of her nest. Not the smartest move on their part.

Ace conveyed his reverence of her clearly through his posture as he moved through the eggs to reach her with his head bent and his eyes angled at the ground. Whitebeard readied himself to stop his son before he could do something reckless or agitate the protective hen, but the flame man turned and looked at him, silently asking that his Father trust in him. The old man always had the hardest time saying no to his children, especially the young ones.

They watched Ace approach her from the side so he was always in her line of sight, humming a soft shanty that they often belted out when partying on the high seas. Holding himself very still, he let her sniff him and investigate to her heart’s content before lifting his face and meeting her eyes.

Whitebeard recognized the subtle use of Haki that he doubted Ace even knew how to wield as he silently conversed with the matron. His likeness to Roger in that moment, able to tame even the wildest of beasts, was uncanny. The Queen and the Pirate watched each other for a moment or two before Ace held his arms up expectantly towards her face. She lowered her neck until her head and sharp beak were on the same level with Ace’s body.

Without saying another word, he hugged her tightly and let the tension in his body ease away as he exuded warmth and love. She cooed softly, the rumbling sound traveling through Ace’s whole frame and only making him hold on tighter until he finally found it in himself to let go of the moment. His arms fell back to his sides and the hen butted her head against his torso as gently as she could. He stumbled back a step or two, but grinned up at her and laughed.

“I’m alright, don’t worry!” he reassured her. With a great push, she jumped off the ground and opened her wings, soaring above the trees and out of sight without further incident. The Whitebeards remained silent for a moment, some in disbelief and others with an inkling of an idea as to what they had just witnessed. They watched as their youngest brother composed himself before turning to face them with an easy smile.

“Sorry if I scared you,” he offered to them, bowing his head at their Captain out of respect for the old man. Whitebeard simply chuckled, ruffling the hair on his head with a large finger before scooping him up and onto his shoulder. He ignored Ace’s protests and the flush that blossomed over his face at the intimacy of the action.

“P-Pops?! What are you- put me down!” Ace yelped, getting comfortable on his shoulder despite his desire to not be there. As soon as he was sure Ace wouldn’t throw himself back to the ground, Whitebeard lowered his arm and ordered his Commanders back to the ship.

“We’ll find some game on the next island, my sons. The inhabitants of this one are no longer on the menu,” he decided, silencing any protests with his old, kind eyes. Ace was silent on his perch, having grown tense, but the discomfort didn’t last long. As they returned to the ship, more and more birds started circling around them, curious to see the pirates and careful to stay out of their reach. They were, at least, until they noticed Ace.

Birds of all sizes, from little sparrows to mighty eagles were surrounding them now. Whitebeard marched on, despite his sons’ confusion at the presence of so many birds in a single area. There had been plenty to see earlier on their way into the island, but now there was a distinct surplus that was being drawn by something.

“They’re here for you, my son?” Whitebeard asked the flame starter sitting on his shoulder. Ace was startled out of his thoughts and held out his hand out to a finch on a nearby branch and experimentally beckoned it over. To their surprise, the little bird flew swiftly to him without any further incentive, landing on his index finger and trilling softly. Ace’s grin returned and he brought the bird up to his face, butting the crown of its head against his own before smoothing the soft feathers down.

“You’re a pretty one,” he complimented, but he still looked sad. “Thank you for coming to see me.” Holding his hand back out, he helped the bird jump back into the air. Before he knew it, another had taken his place without needing an invitation. A crow, this time. Ace gave it the same love, and a gentle rub before sending it on its way.

“I bet it’s the matron, they can probably smell her on me and are curious about us,” Ace explained, accepting another bird on his outstretched arm. His brothers watched him from the corners of their eyes, amazed at the trust being shown to Ace, and the tender love that he offered in return for their kindness. It almost felt like they were invading his privacy just by watching, but they had never seen something so pure, so effortless before.

“I wish we had Marco here to translate what’s happening,” Haruta grumbled, pouting about the fact that her little brother could chat with the birds like a magical princess and he couldn’t figure out why. Izo whapped him on the back of the head with one of his fans.

“You know Marco can’t actually talk to birds, Haruta,” he admonished gently, but silently wishing they had somebody among their family who could. Most of the Commanders avoided asking each other questions about topics that could be sensitive. Often it was hard to tell what kind of information was sensitive and what wasn’t; for them, it was better that no one asked at all.

Bird after bird came and went, serenading Ace with their songs and giving his love back to him in spades. Eventually, the Commanders let him be, turning their eyes back to the path that was supposed to lead them to the Moby Dick. It wasn’t until Whitebeard himself let out a deep noise of discontent and stopped moving altogether that everyone’s attention swiveled back to the two of them.

“What the hell?” Vista muttered, utterly confused at the picture he was looking at. Ace was still balanced on Whitebeard’s shoulder, but there was now a vulture, of all things, perched on top of their Captain’s head. Luckily, his bandana would protect his scalp from any scratches left behind by bird’s sharp talons. Ace had the nerve to giggle at the picture they posed together. An innocent vulture with wrinkled skin shifting as it turned its head to see him with large black eyes, and Whitebeard underneath its feet, holding as still as he could with a frown set in his old and handsomely aged features.

“You could have fit on my shoulder if you really wanted to,” Ace scolded lightly, his words lacking any kind of heat. The bird cooed at him, leaning forward. Ace extended his face to the creature, closing his eyes and trusting that the vulture would not peck his eyes out through his eyelids while his guard was down. The vulture rubbed their faces together much like the matron had, leaving soon after.

“Don’t worry, Pops, your head looks fine!” Ace chirped, happiness overflowing out of every pore in his body. Whitebeard smiled and they continued on their way, but he could tell there was still some sadness taking root within his youngest son. Even all of the love and affection he had just received was not enough to purify it, for now they had reached the beach and the birds were no longer willing to leave the sanctity of the forests. Ace turned to look over his shoulder, as if waiting for something to appear.

“Do you wish to stay a little longer, Ace?” Whitebeard asked, slowing his pace and waving at his other sons to keep going without them. Ace bit his lip and felt warmth dust across the bridge of his nose after being caught with such a forlorn look on his face. He didn’t want to worry his father any more than he already did, but Whitebeard was already onto him. He took a deep breath and kept his voice low.

“I lost someone close to me when I was a kid. All he wanted was to be free and he wasn’t bad like the evil people out there, Pops. He was good, better than me, so whoever’s up there calling the shots must have heard him and given him another chance. He’ll be reborn and I’m sure he’ll be a bird when he does come back. Birds are the freest things out there, flying wherever they want whenever they want so I’m sure he’ll have wings and feathers and a cool beak or something,” Ace trailed off, breaths hitching. He had searched for years, since the day they lost Sabo, waiting for some sign that he had come back, back to  _ him _ and  _ Luffy _ .

Whitebeard saw the rawness of his emotions and his heart yearned to offer his youngest all the comfort he could possibly want. Unfortunately, his time on the planet had taught him that it wouldn’t be enough because it wasn’t the comfort Ace  _ needed _ . “He won’t be S- my  _ brother _ anymore, but it’ll be his soul and he’ll be free at last and I’ll know it’s him. I’d know him anywhere Po-”

A sharp intake of breath told Whitebeard that Ace’s attention had been drawn by something new. Glancing over, he was surprised to see Ace holding his hands close to one another, cradling something. Upon further inspection, he noticed a silky blue crown peeking out over the tops of his hands. Ace opened his hands to brush over silky wings, stroking a softly feathered head that belonged to a marvelous blue jay. Ace raised the bird to his lips, giving him a loving kiss that had not been given to the others.

Whitebeard could only wonder if Ace’s long lost friend had been found. He would not ask, however. If Ace felt the need to tell him about the blue jay that had taken his breath away, he would. Besides, it was easy to guess the answer when the bird fluttered off and Ace’s smile didn’t return.

“And what happens when you do find him, son?” he asked when they breached the top decks where Whitebeard’s deck chair awaited him. Ace thought to himself for a moment.

“I guess then-  _ hey _ !” he whined as Whitebeard abruptly grabbed him again before taking his rightful place on the only chair that could be considered a throne on the Moby Dick. Ace was deposited in his lap without further ado and immediately turned to glare up at him. Whitebeard laughed, ruffling Ace’s hair with one of his fingertips, deepening his youngest’s blush as he crossed his arms and pretended not to be pouting. The Captain was almost at the point of believing Ace would leave his question unanswered when a quiet voice reached his ears.

“I don’t know what we’d do, but I’m sure it would work out. We’re brothers after all,” he said softly but with confidence. Whitebeard’s hum of understanding rumbled through his chest and shook Ace in his lap. The rest of the crew had already started the process of lifting the anchors and setting sail for the next island that they had an eternal pose for. Whitebeard was content to let the conversation be after that, well aware that he had pushed up against Ace’s boundaries when there was no indication that it was a good time to do so. Much to his subtle delight, Ace’s sulky posture relaxed and he settled back against his Captain’s stomach, making good use of him as a backrest while he was still sitting in the old man’s lap.

“That’s why I won’t kill a bird before I get a chance to see them. I want to see if it’s him or not. I’d know him anywhere. I won’t take their eggs either for the same reason. I don’t want to take away his chance of being free,” he explained. Near the end, the corners of his mouth twitched up into a smile as he thought of his precious brother. His hand unconsciously rubbed at the crossed out S on his arm, reliving the best times they shared together as kids.

“I see,” was all that Whitebeard had to say in response, but it was enough. Ace whistled the shanty he had hummed for the birds on the island, burrowing deeper into his father’s comforting presence until he fell asleep with a smile lingering on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it! Check out the other works in this series if you like the way I write. There's still more fics to come so keep an eye out!


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